Termites?!

[treehugger]

I was just notified that the foreclosure i have been chasing for the last 2 months is mine…if I still want it.

The house has termites and the initial quote is $4200 for tenting and some repairs. I have full home inspection scheduled for this Friday.

Bank refused to pay for termite repairs, but we were able to negotiate cost of house down to offset. Now I am thinking, since I have to pay for termite work maybe I can find someone cheaper?

Anyone have any recommendations for termite exterminators that work up in North County?

[bearishgurl]

Hydrex Pest Control of San Diego

http://corkyspest.com/north-county-coastal/

Congratulations on getting a further price discount from your lender-seller, treehugger! This problem can be fixed.

edit: I would suggest you get someone else to do the necessary repairs after the place is tented. These repairs are a huge profit center for termite companies. For instance, an $800 repair shown as necessary on the report could cost only about $35-$50 if you do it yourself and then paint it to match the house/fence. But in order to do it yourself, you would have to take title first.

[sdrealtor]

You should be able to get the tenting cheaper by calling around. Also do not use the termite company for wood repairs. They typically bill the work out at $100/hour because they can in most cases due to contract provisions. When you dont have to use them, dont use them. You can get the work done for 1/3rd the price.

[jwizzle]

I’m sure you can find someone cheaper. I don’t recall who did our tenting, but I remember that it was closer to $2500 to tent as opposed to $3800 for spot treatment and repairs that the seller’s termite co said was necessary. Also, I second BG rec that you do repairs yourself after having it tented. As I recall from my house purchase, for purposes of mortgage/financing, banks don’t care about repair work if you get it tented (I do believe that having it tented was a condition of closing for my loan, but that might have been because we got a VA loan).

[bearishgurl]

Tenting prices vary wildly but should run about $1200 – $1800 for an 1800 sf one-story house and about $1700 – $2300 for a 2200 sf 2-story house. These are prices for existing customers who have an annual pest control contract with a particular company. The higher prices will get you a stronger treatment (more canisters shot between the walls and in the attic/crawlspace).

I’ve watched several houses being tented from across the street and it is very interesting to watch.

[CA renter]

Corky’s has been advertising a special lately. Just going from memory, but believe they sent out mailers for tenting a ~2,000 sf house for $1,275.

Good luck, treehugger!

Home

[treehugger]

I have to figure out how to close the loan with tenting post closure. Maybe roll money into escrow or something?

House is 3000 sq ft so corky’s won’t give me a quote over the phone. They did say they would meet or beat anybody’s price, but that is annoying.

The house we just sold needed a front fascia board replaced due to termites. I was quoted $400 and that was the only thing on a full price offer so I told the termite inspector to go ahead. We watched them do $25 worth of work, no joke they were here less than 30 min. Then I was told, oh look at that, guess it was fine after all, oh well.

I don’t want to pay their ridiculously inflated prices for repair, but I do need tenting.

Hoping full home inspection is uneventful. Went with one of the guys recommended in a post here with one of those thermal image thingys.

[sdrealtor]

The termite companies also all have a minimum bid of usually around $400. So yes you or whoever paid for that work got screwed.

[SD Realtor]

If the purchase agreement says you need a termite clearance then closing the loan without a clearance could be problematic. You may want to talk to escrow and your lender about that with regards to obtaining the clearance after the loan has funded. As long as the wood repair is done, the clearance can be issued the day the put the tent up as opposed to when they take it down 3 days later. Otherwise just get the work done the day of closing. There are alternate treatments besides tenting as well. You can call Truly Nolen and ask about the liquid treatment they have. There are some possible alternatives.

[sdsurfer]

I’ve used Hume pest control a bunch of times and would recommend them. Real stand up people over there if you want to give them a call to get the quote.

I actually appreciate that I do not have to listen to radio ads non-stop like the other company. They let their work speak for itself.

[Fearful]

FYI there are only a few companies that actually do fumigation. Notice that you do not see a bunch of different companies’ trucks driving around with bottles of fumigation gas on them. You hire a pest control company and the company that actually does the fumigation is a subcontractor. Thus many of the companies that you actually deal with are simply fronts, middlemen, for the guys who actually do the work. My guess is only a few companies have passed the regulatory and liability hurdles to do gas fumigation. Thus it matters very little (really only price) who you hire for the fumigation.

Spot treatment and control of subterranean termites is a whole other ball.

[sdrealtor]

This is correct and the fumigation companies wont or cant deal with you directly. I know, I tried.

[SD Realtor]

I would also advise that if you are gonna fumigate pony up the extra money to insure the roof as these subs usually crunch a few tiles.

[treehugger]

Here I am nearly 4 years later…..we bought the house, but did not termite tent when we bought.

Now I am about to replace the last section of wood fence (which is the shared fence with the neighbors and is termite ridden) and getting ready to termite treat the house and I searched this site to see if any advice and find my old posting!

Anybody tented recently? any recommendations?

[no_such_reality]

[quote=treehugger]Here I am nearly 4 years later…..we bought the house, but did not termite tent when we bought.

Now I am about to replace the last section of wood fence (which is the shared fence with the neighbors and is termite ridden) and getting ready to termite treat the house and I searched this site to see if any advice and find my old posting!

Anybody tented recently? any recommendations?[/quote]

Most termite guys actually sub contract out the tenting. Call a few and ask if they do their pen tenting or who they tent contract. I suspect National out of San Diego will come up repeatedly.

[Author]

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